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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26366977">Fact of Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cein/pseuds/Kien%20Rugastelo'>Kien Rugastelo (cein)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Talk [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming of Age</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 06:42:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,177</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26366977</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cein/pseuds/Kien%20Rugastelo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"In retrospect, Kurogane should not have barged right into the bathroom, whether Sakura had screamed out in terror or not, but sometimes protective instincts overwhelmed common sense."</p>
<p>Kurogane finds out sexual health education in Clow has failed Sakura, so he sits her down to make amends.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kurogane &amp; Sakura | Tsubasa, No Romantic Relationship(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Talk [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932487</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fact of Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>No idea where this one came from, but Kurogane is a good father anyway.</p>
<p>Fic contains gender-neutral discussion of bodies through puberty and into adulthood, as well as pro-choice, ace-friendly (though the descriptions below may be a bit much for sex-repulsed aces) sexual discussion that (in my opinion) is not too advanced for our roughly 14/15 year old Sakura, but some people may differ in opinion.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>In retrospect, Kurogane should not have barged right into the bathroom, whether Sakura had screamed out in terror or not, but sometimes protective instincts overwhelmed common sense. Luckily, Sakura was still sitting on the toilet, and the angle covered her most private of bits, even more covered when she leaned forward reflexively. “What’s wrong? What happened?” Kurogane demanded, eyes darting around the bathroom, trying to identify the threat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If Sakura was embarrassed by the situation, her worry eclipsed it as she held up the wad of tissue in her right hand. “There’s blood!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane’s anxiety deflated like a popped balloon. “Blood?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura nodded emphatically. “A lot of it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane set a comforting hand on her shoulder, and a flush creeped up on her cheeks, as if she was only just realizing the compromising position she was in. “Wait here,” Kurogane instructed, “You’ll be fine.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura did seem to relax at seeing Kurogane so calm and reassuring, and Kurogane decided that it was fine as he left the bathroom in not too much of a hurry. He had grown up in a palace full of people who experienced this — woman or not — and he understood the process well enough, and it occurred to him that Sakura had grown up in a palace full of people who most likely did not, or at least did not discuss such things. After sending Fai to the store for some supplies and gathering up a blanket, a change of clothes, and a glass of water for Sakura, Kurogane made his way back to the loo where Sakura was waiting. He knocked twice while announcing himself and Sakura bid him to enter, so enter he did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s all that?” Sakura asked quietly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to wait for the mage to come back from the store for now,” Kurogane explained, voice as gentle as his could manage as if the wrong tone could spook Sakura all over again, “Then you can clean up, alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” she nodded as Kurogane passed her a blanket to cover her lap, which Sakura accepted gratefully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you in any pain?” Kurogane asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura grimaced. “A bit in my stomach.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s okay,” Kurogane assured her as he opened the mirror for the medicine cabinet, “That’s normal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Normal?” Sakura asked with a bit of disbelief as she accepted the painkillers Kurogane popped out of the bottle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There came another knock at the door and Fai’s voice came from the other side: “I’m back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane opened the door only wide enough to accept the shopping bag before shutting it again and rummaging through until he found the package he wanted. “These are pads,” he said by way of explanation as he passed them Sakura’s way. “Can you understand the instructions?” Sakura turned the package around until she found them and the pictures seemed straightforward enough so she nodded. It was good enough for Kurogane. “Go ahead and clean up and I’ll meet you in your room, okay?” Sakura nodded again, and Kurogane made to leave, only pausing as a thought occurred to him: “And hot water will help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura nodded again, feeling a bit like a bobble head at this point. “Thanks, Kurogane-san.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane didn’t really think thanks were really needed here — just a “father” caring for his daughter — but he accepted them all the same. “No problem.”</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>After Sakura had showered (a nice, long affair that had left the room steamy despite the fan) and changed into the clean pajamas Kurogane had left for her, she sat on the bed to face Kurogane, who had dragged in a chair for himself and had elected to sit backwards in it with his arms resting across the back. He’d had a bit of time to plan while she’d been gone, and he was resolved to go ahead with the least amount of embarrassment possible. First things first, though, so he asked: “Are you feeling better?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A bit,” Sakura allowed, pulling her knees up to her chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you know what’s happening?” Sakura shook her head at that. Kurogane had figured as much. “It’s called a period, or a menstrual cycle. People with bodies like yours start to get them as they grow into adults. It’s perfectly natural and there’s nothing wrong with you, even if it hurts a bit, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura seemed to take a bit of comfort in that, though she didn’t uncoil herself, though Kurogane figured that had to do more with the cramps than her feeling uncomfortable with him. “Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your body is clearing out some old tissue that had built up. It’s not comfortable, but it’s important to keep your body healthy.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura fidgeted with her pant leg a bit. “Will it happen again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Usually about once a month, though it might happen more or less often, especially since you’re only just starting to have them. It will most likely become more regular as you get older.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Sakura commented, not looking too happy about that prospect and Kurogane couldn’t blame her. “Does it happen to boys, too?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If they have a body like yours, yes,” Kurogane allowed, not sure just how much Sakura knew about the topic, “And people who have a body like mine don’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura seemed to accept that information in stride and Kurogane was a bit relieved he wouldn’t have to cover that in more detail just then — one difficult conversation was enough. “Why does it happen?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane let out a breath through his nose as he considered how to best explain it. It was starting to look like he’d have to cover the entire birds and the bees with her, and the less embarrassed he was about it, the easier it would probably be for Sakura. “About once a month, your body releases what is called an egg and sends it to your uterus. It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> tiny — ” and here he pinched two fingers together as if to demonstrate how small the eggs were “ — so small your eyes couldn’t see it, and your uterus prepares a big bed of tissue for it just in case it becomes fertilized and starts to grow into a fetus, which can eventually become a baby. If the egg is not fertilized, your body will clear out the egg and the bed so you don’t get an infection, and that becomes your period.” Sakura nodded along with that, leaning forward in interest as she absorbed the information. “Now do you know how an egg gets fertilized?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mm-mm,” Sakura hummed a negative and Kurogane was of half a mind to smack the leaders of Clow. What exactly counted for sexual education out there?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It can happen when semen — that’s what comes out of a penis when someone with one reaches sexual climax — gets in your vagina, so if you start having sex, you need to be careful unless you want to become pregnant. There are ways to end a pregnancy if you don’t want one, but it’s easier to stop one before it starts, especially if we don’t know how good or available medical care is on whatever world we’re on, ok?” Sakura’s face grew redder and redder after Kurogane said the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>sexual</span>
  </em>
  <span> so he took mercy on her. “Are you alright? Do you want to talk about something else?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” she assured him gamely, though her blush didn’t retreat. “How do you, ah, stop it before it starts?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane was secretly a little proud of her for asking, even if she was a little uncomfortable doing so. “There are devices one can wear, and the easiest one to get is a condom. That wraps around a penis and catches the semen as it leaves so it isn’t left behind in the vagina if that is the way someone is having sex. As long as it is worn correctly and isn’t damaged, that will almost always work, but nothing is 100% guaranteed, ok?” Sakura nodded. “If you ever want some, you can ask me or the mage, and we’ll pick some up for you until you’re old enough to do that yourself,” he added. “There are also medical devices and medicines you can take, but again, since we’re travelling we don’t know when we’re going to be able to find those or get treatment if something goes wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Another way is to have sex in ways that a penis does not go in the vagina, so it can’t leave sperm behind. A lot of people use hands or mouths or other body parts to achieve sexual satisfaction, and that is okay as long as everyone involved is having fun and agrees to it. There are no wrong ways as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or your partner.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura, still a bit pink but not the vicious red she had been a couple minutes before, seemed to mull that all over for a moment, taking all the new information in. “How will I know..?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How to have sex?” Kurogane finished for her, and Sakura nodded at that. “The easiest way is to communicate with your partner. If they can tell you what they like, and you can tell them what you like, you can work together and make it fun for both of you. When you’re more familiar with them, you can start to explore other ways, but at first they will know their body better than you, and you should know yours better than them.” Anticipating Sakura’s next question, Kurogane continued: “Now the best way to find out what you like is to have sex with yourself. When you start feeling sexual urges and you are alone, you can explore your own body with your hands and make yourself feel good. A lot of people like to touch their nipples, and their vaginas, and a little bit in front of the vagina where a bump called the clitoris is, but there can be spots that feel good all over your body. Again, as long as you aren’t hurting yourself, everything is ok. Or you might never have sexual urges or find out you don’t really like touching anywhere at all, and that is also ok — there’s nothing wrong with that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Throughout the exchange, Sakura swapped out her legs for a pillow, hugging it in front of herself instead as she cast her eyes sideways. “What if I never want to but my special person does?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane ducked his head until he was meeting Sakura’s eyes directly, despite her attempts to avoid his gaze. “If they really love you, they’ll respect that you don’t want to and leave it alone, ok? That’s very important. You should never be made to feel like you have to have sex if you don’t want to, and if someone makes you feel that way, then they don’t really care about you. Understand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I understand,” Sakura replied, and Kurogane nodded at that, straightening back up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. And you can tell me if anyone ever treats you that way and I’ll come by and beat them up for you. Same goes for the mage. We both care about you and want you to be safe and happy.” He waited for Sakura’s nod before continuing. “Now, do you have any questions for me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sakura, for her part, took the question seriously and turned over her thoughts. “About how long will I bleed for?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A week seems about average. Might be more, might be less.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I’ll have to wear these?” Sakura asked, holding up the opened package of pads that had been discarded by the bed for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kurogane picked up the shopping bag and dug through it, confirming that Fai had picked up tampons as well. “There are a couple other ways, but those will probably be easier to start with. When you’re more comfortable, you can try other ways and decide what you like best. Just make sure you don’t wear them too long without changing or it can make you sick. If you can’t read the directions to find out how long you should wear them, you can ask me or the mage, and if we can’t read them, we’ll ask the shopkeeper to if you’re embarrassed, ok?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ok,” Sakura said, straightening up a bit. “I think that’s it, but if I have more questions, I can ask later, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Kurogane said, rising from the chair to leave, relieved that the conversation had gone over as easily as it had.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Kurogane-san?” Sakura asked, making Kurogane pause at the door to catch her smile. “Thanks for everything.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The answering turn at the corner of Kurogane’s lips wasn’t as wide but it was no less real for it. “No problem, kid.” He left her room then, finding Fai waiting outside, a grin on his face that Kurogane wasn’t sure he liked. “What?” he asked with no small amount of suspicion over the sound of the washing machine running.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Fai just stood up from his lean against the wall, where he had likely been eavesdropping on the entire conversation, to breeze past Kurogane and head downstairs. “Kuro-chan’s a good father.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn straight.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sakura: *in the dark and scared about the changes she's going through*</p>
<p>Kurogane: My time has arrived</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <a href="https://deforrest-bergan.tumblr.com/post/628742470244646912/fact-of-life-kien-rugastelo-cein-tsubasa">More notes</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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